Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu. Photo: YouTube
RAWALPINDI:
Iraq expressed keen interest in acquiring Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder fighter as top air force commanders of the two countries held talks in Baghdad, highlighting growing defense cooperation and Islamabad’s growing profile as a provider of combat aviation platforms.
This interest was expressed during a meeting between the Chief of Air Staff, Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, and the Commander of the Iraqi Air Force, Lieutenant General Mohanad Ghalib Mohammed Radi Al-Asadi, according to an official statement issued on Saturday.
The Iraqi Air Chief praised the professionalism, technological advancements and operational standards of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), while signaling his desire to benefit from the PAF’s combat aircraft experience, training systems and capacity building support, with particular emphasis on the JF-17 Thunder program and the Super Mushshak trainer aircraft.
Upon arrival at the Iraqi Air Force Headquarters, Air Marshal Sidhu was presented with a guard of honor, a gesture described as symbolizing mutual respect and strengthening institutional ties between the two air forces.
The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral military cooperation, including joint training, operational collaboration and interoperability, with the air chief highlighting the deep-rooted religious, cultural and historical ties between Pakistan and Iraq.
He reaffirmed the PAF’s commitment to supporting the Iraqi Air Force through training initiatives and professional exchanges, while the two commanders agreed to continue structured joint exercises aimed at enhancing operational readiness and coordination.
This engagement comes against a backdrop of broader regional interest in Pakistan’s aviation platforms, particularly the JF-17, which has been positioned as a cost-effective multi-role fighter supported by local training and maintenance frameworks.
Earlier this week, ISPR said the Bangladesh Air Force chief met Air Chief Sidhu at the Air Headquarters for discussions on defense cooperation, including the potential purchase of JF-17 Thunder fighter jets.
Days later, the Reuters news agency, citing three sources familiar with the matter who requested anonymity, reported that Pakistan was in the final stages of a $1.5 billion arms deal with Sudan, including Super Mushshak trainer jets and possibly JF-17 fighter jets.
This report followed another Reuters article regarding a possible JF-17 fighter jet deal with Saudi Arabia, with which Pakistan had already signed a mutual strategic defense agreement in September last year.
A report published Saturday on the PTV Digital website said Turkey was seeking to join the deal, a move that could lead to a new trilateral security alignment. He cites a US report from Bloomberg that Ankara sees joining the deal as a way to strengthen security and deterrence.
Citing its sources, Bloomberg indicated that negotiations were at an advanced stage and that “an agreement is very likely.” He noted that Turkey’s strategic interests increasingly overlap with those of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
According to PTV, the Bloomberg article also cited comments from Nihat Ali Ozcan, a strategist at the Ankara-based think tank TEPAV, who highlighted the complementary strengths of the three countries.
The report adds that an expanded alliance could shift regional and global security calculations, particularly as countries reevaluate their alliances and seek to establish clearer distinctions between friends and rivals in a changing geopolitical environment.
Bloomberg noted that Turkey has already deepened its defense ties with the two countries, including building corvette warships, sharing drone technology and upgrading F-16s for Pakistan, adding that Ankara now aims to involve Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in its fifth-generation Kaan fighter jet program.
Meanwhile, security sources in Islamabad warned that any military engagement with friendly countries was a routine affair; therefore, these matters should not be subject to any speculation.
They noted that these commitments are typically disclosed through minimal public statements. “Details of any such engagement are being shared sparingly and should not be conjecture,” a source told The Express PK Press Club.
In Islamabad on Thursday, the Foreign Ministry also played down media speculation linking JF-17 sales to broader financial or security deals, reiterating that any confirmed defense deal would be announced once it officially materialized.
(WITH NEWS DESK ENTRIES)
